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Communication Plan

Battle of Midway 81st Anniversary Commemoration, June 3-7, 2023

 

Download a pdf of the BOM 81 Comm Plan. (263 KB)

 

How to Use This Communication Plan:

This plan aligns Navy communication efforts commemorating the 81st anniversary of the Battle of Midway, offering resources to maximize the use of social media, speaking, online, and print channels to highlight the battle’s continued relevance in facing today’s fleet challenges. This guidance will enable local and regional commands to leverage existing Navy resources, to develop and share existing products, and to produce observances appropriate to local audiences. Additionally, to assess and to improve the effectiveness of this Navy-wide effort, after-action reports and metrics are critical, allowing NHHC to capture wins and lessons for future observances.

Overview:

June 2023 marks the 81st anniversary of one of America’s most historically significant naval victories. The U.S. Navy’s determination, zeal, and valor at The Battle of Midway, a multi-day engagement fought June 3-7, 1942, blunted the Imperial Japanese navy’s striking force and its advance across the Pacific. Navy strategy in this conflict leveraged the power of our aircraft carriers, sustaining sea control and shifting the paradigm of maritime power projection to the carrier force. Our remembrance of Midway illustrates how our battle achievements in innovation, intelligence and courage serve as a model and as inspiration as we face the challenges of the future.  

Timing of Communication Campaign:

June 1-7, 2023

Communication Goals:

  • Inform and remind Sailors of the legacy of service and sacrifice to which they are heir.
  • Highlight the importance of Naval Intelligence to maintain the advantage over adversaries.
  • Help Sailors understand the level of heroism displayed during the Battle of Midway resides within them every day.
  • Build esprit de corps and pride among Sailors and Navy civilians for the history and heritage of the organization.
  • Inform U.S. military veterans/retirees, military historians and the American public of the importance of the Battle of Midway in turning the tide of WWII to the allies’ favor and its significance in Navy history.

Targeted Audiences:

  • Internal: Navy Sailors, Marines, and their families
  • Secondary Internal: Senior Navy, Marine, and DoD leadership
  • External: U.S. military veterans/retirees, military historians, American public

 

Messaging Framework:

Key Message

Supporting Talking Points

The best example of sacrifice and service—the American Sailor—is  at the heart of any Navy victory.

  • Sailors led as individuals and as a unified team, creating a lethal and ready force to enable the Navy to seize victory at Midway.
  • Sailors significantly contributed to a legacy of heroism that today’s force may be called upon to demonstrate

The same fighting spirit that led naval aviators to victory during the Battle of Midway thrives in our Sailors today.

  • The Battle of Midway marked the culmination of a technical revolution in which carrier airpower displaced gunnery as the primary means of delivering naval ordnance.
  • Midway was a contest of air power that allowed the Navy to demonstrate new ways of fighting battles at sea and in the air.
  • We maintain the advantage over adversaries through naval Intelligence to maintain the advantage.
  • The United States has been, and remains, a naval power. Despite growing challenges and disruptions to the international rules-based order, our global fleet enables us to stand by our commitment to free-and-open sea lanes. 

The Battle of Midway was a decisive moment in history.

  • The Navy achieved decision superiority in combat and established itself as a dominant naval force that can outthink and outfight any adversary.
  • Superior intelligence set the stage for victory at the Battle of Midway and shifted the naval power dynamic.
  • Navy actions disabled enemy capability, deterred aggression, and derailed adversarial takeover plans of Pacific territories.

The Navy is a protective force, both then and now.

  • Sailors protected America against enemy advancement in World War II by severely damaging Imperial Japanese navy assets.
  • Sailors protect America’s security, values, and future with a capable, mobile force today.  

 

Communication Resources and Channels:

 

Suggested Tactics for Command/Unit PAOs and MCs:

**NOTE: Employ available resources in the NHHC Battle of Midway Toolkit

Tactics

Objective Met

Use hashtags #Midway81, #WWIITurningPoint in all shared social content Navy-wide

1, 2, 3, 4

Actively share Battle of Midway content and stories on Navy and local command websites and/or social properties June 1-7, 2022.

1, 2, 3, 4

Use socially optimized graphics to share content across online platforms.

2, 3, 4

Tweet key events of the Battle of Midway, using relevant images and links to encourage engagement, or tweet local events.

2, 3

Senior Navy leadership conduct speeches to crew/public providing historical context and link events to the missions and capabilities of today’s Sailors.

1, 4

Amplify stories shared from Navy-owned social platforms about Sailors who persevered during the Battle of Midway in spite of extreme challenges and changing battle conditions.

1, 2, 3, 4

Solicit and share stories from surviving veterans of Midway to share on Navy-owned digital platforms.

1, 3, 4

Distribute press releases and media kit/pitches to outlets that may be interested in telling a story related to Battle of Midway.

4, 5

 

Measurements of Effectiveness:

 

Objectives

Tactics/Key Performance Indicator

1

Use key messages and talking points to connect Sailors’ sacrifice and heroism during the Battle of Midway to the readiness and resiliency of today’s Sailors.

  • Reach people through in-person commemoration speeches and digital content.

2

Use key Battle of Midway messages and talking points to reach no fewer than 1.5M people across digital platforms.

  • Monitor and track 1) unique website visitors to Navy.mil, NHHC, and working group member webpages featuring Midway-related content; and 2) reach of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram channels.
  • Navy commands/units: Set local KPIs for online platform reach and provide those metrics with their feedback to NHHC on command events.

3

Use tweeting of commemoration events or other Twitter engagements to highlight stories of sacrifice and heroism during the Battle of Midway.

  • NHHC: Achieve an average Twitter engagement rate of at least 4% on BOM content; monitor and track engagement on NHHC Twitter from June 1-7 through hashtag use and reported metrics.
  • Navy commands/units: Set local KPIs for online platform reach and provide those metrics with their feedback to NHHC on command events.

4

Use Battle of Midway content from NHHC’s web presence and commemoration online toolkit to share with today’s Sailors the Battle of Midway legacy of service, sacrifice, and esprit de corps. 

  • NHHC: Share content with the fleet and track use of content provided for a pickup rate of 60% of commands reporting a commemoration event; monitor and track NHHC content on fellow Navy webpages and social media accounts.
  • Navy commands/units: Include NHHC content usage in feedback to NHHC on command events.

5

Coordinate with local/regional media on coverage that explores the historical significance of the Battle of Midway and the importance of the aircraft carrier and the vital role it played in defending our nations’ freedom, as well as contributing to the Allies’ victory in WWII.

  • NHHC: Coordinate with three trade, three historical, and three local Pacific (West Coast / Hawaiian) outlets for coverage that highlights Battle of Midway themes and messages; monitor and track news stories online June 1-7.
  • Navy commands/units: Report media engagements conducted relating to Battle of Midway from June 1-7.

 

Required Fleet Public Affairs Support:

NHHC:

  • Establish a Working Group (WG) of key stakeholders to oversee planning and program development for the Battle of Midway (BOM) commemoration.
    • NHHC will serve as chairman of the BOM WG.
    • Track Navy-wide commemoration plans as they develop, and coordinate with BOM WG members to identify and share available resources for global execution.
  • Develop a commemoration toolkit for use by Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC); Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT), Commander, Navy Installations (CNIC), Commander, Navy Reserve Force (CNRF); Naval Education and Training Command (NETC); Commander, Navy Recruiting Command (CNRC); Regional Commanders; Commanding Officers; and Officers in Charge.
    • Provide and make available a body of lessons learned at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels from previous BOM commemorations.
  • Draft BOM Navy Execute Order for release as NAVADMIN by DNS. Message to be released NLT 01 April 2023.
  • Compile Midway lessons learned and after action from other stakeholders and provide this to DNS NLT 15 July 2023.

CHIEF OF NAVAL INFORMATION (CHINFO):

  • Provide representatives to the BOM WG.
  • Disseminate the BOM 81st Anniversary Communication Plan to ashore and afloat commands by 01 April 2023.
  • IAW NAVADMIN 026/22 and Battle of Midway working group lead, provide BOM lessons learned to NHHC NLT 24 June 2023.

USFFC; COMPACFLT; CNIC; CNRF; NETC; and CNRC:

  • Provide representatives as necessary to support the BOM WG.
  • Ensure COs and OICs plan for and commemorate the 81st anniversary of the BOM.
  • Execute the BOM 81st Anniversary Communication Plan, disseminated by CHINFO, and participate in planned community outreach activities as operationally feasible.
  • IAW NAVADMIN 096/21 and Battle of Midway working group lead, provide BOM lessons learned to NHHC NLT 24 June 2023.
  • Report all commemorative events to NHHC NLT 24 June 2023.

-- NHHC --

Published: Tue Mar 21 16:49:59 EDT 2023